NEW YORK (AP) 鈥 Within hours of his historic arraignment this spring, Donald Trump fixed his ire on the judge, complaining that he鈥檚 鈥渁 Trump-hating judge" with a family full of 鈥淭rump haters.鈥
On Friday, the former president鈥檚 lawyers doubled down on that criticism, demanding Judge Juan Manuel Merchan step aside from his New York City criminal case because of what they say is anti-Trump bias and a conflict of interest arising from his daughter鈥檚 work for some of Trump鈥檚 Democratic rivals.
Trump鈥檚 lawyers allege that Merchan, in Manhattan鈥檚 criminal court, tipped the scales in two other Trump-related cases by involving himself in plea negotiations for Trump鈥檚 longtime finance chief and requiring him to testify against Trump鈥檚 company in exchange for a five-month jail sentence.
Trump鈥檚 lawyers, Susan Necheles and Todd Blanche, also asked Merchan to explain three political donations totaling $35 that were made to Democratic causes in his name during the 2020 election cycle.
In the New York case, Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. The charges relate to hush-money payments made during the 2016 campaign to bury allegations that Trump had extramarital sexual encounters. He has denied wrongdoing.
Merchan did not respond to inquiries from The Associated Press asking him to confirm or deny if he's the person who made the donations, which include $15 for President Joe Biden鈥檚 campaign against Trump, according to federal campaign finance records. Such contributions are typically prohibited under court rules.
The former president's criminal case is 鈥渉istoric and it is important that the People of the State of New York and this nation have confidence that the jurist who presides over it is impartial,鈥 Trump's lawyers wrote in what's known as a motion for recusal.
The decision on recusal is up to Merchan himself, who previously rejected such a request when Trump鈥檚 company was on trial. Trump鈥檚 lawyers could be also making a play to raise the issue on appeal if he's convicted. Along with their motion, Trump鈥檚 lawyers submitted 42 pages of what that say is evidence of Merchan鈥檚 political bias.
The hush-money case is continuing in state court while Trump鈥檚 lawyers to federal court, which would also remove Merchan from the judicial equation. A federal judge has scheduled a June 27 hearing on that request.
A message seeking comment was left with Merchan. A spokesperson for New York鈥檚 state court system, Lucian Chalfen, said that since the case is pending in front of the judge, "it would be inappropriate for any further comment.鈥
Merchan has appeared respectful and exceedingly accommodating in his limited interactions with Trump and has refused to issue a gag order, even as the ex-president continued to pillory him, District Attorney Alvin Bragg and others involved the case. At a recent hearing, Merchan said he was 鈥渂ending over backwards鈥 to make sure he wasn't limiting Trump from having 鈥渆very opportunity possible to advance his candidacy.鈥
Trump鈥檚 recusal motion expands on the criticism he's lobbed at Merchan and his family in statements and on his Truth Social platform.
Merchan鈥檚 daughter, Loren, is a political consultant whose firm has worked on campaigns for prominent Democrats including Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Trump, the leading contender for the in 2024, could face Biden again as he seeks a return to the White House. He and his allies have seized on Merchan鈥檚 political ties in portraying his prosecution as part of a Democrat-led 鈥渨itch hunt.鈥
鈥淚 have a Trump-hating judge with a Trump-hating wife and family whose daughter worked for Kamala Harris,鈥 Trump said in a speech at his Mar-a-Lago estate, hours after his April 4 arraignment.
Among Trump鈥檚 other criticisms, he's claimed Merchan 鈥渞ailroaded鈥 ex-Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg into a guilty plea last summer and acted 鈥渧iciously鈥 in presiding over the company鈥檚 trial, which ended in a tax fraud conviction last December.
Merchan was heavily involved in negotiations that led to Weisselberg鈥檚 plea to charges he skirted taxes on perks including a Manhattan apartment and luxury cars. Merchan said he wished he could impose a tougher penalty after hearing Weisselberg testify, particularly when he spoke about his wife getting $6,000 for a no-show job to qualify for Social Security benefits while her husband raked in big money.
Those cases were preludes to Trump鈥檚 historic indictment.
Trump鈥檚 case ended up in Merchan鈥檚 courtroom because of a rotation in which judges assigned to oversee grand juries handle any cases that arise from them, according to the court system. Merchan also often handles financial cases and runs Manhattan鈥檚 mental health court, where some defendants get a chance to resolve their cases with treatment and supervision.
Merchan, 60, emigrated from Colombia as a 6-year-old and grew up in New York City. The first member of his family to go to college, he worked his way through school and went on to earn a law degree from Hofstra University in 1994.
He was a Manhattan prosecutor and worked in the state attorney general鈥檚 office before then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg appointed him as a family court judge in 2006. Three years later, Merchan was assigned to a trial court, which in New York is called the Supreme Court.
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